Hominick ready for first fight since death of coach

Mark Hominick of Canada shows his battle wounds including a huge bump above his right eye, received during his featherweight title fight against Jose Aldo of Brazil during UFC 129 in Toronto, Ontario, Saturday, April 30, 2011.Photo by
Tyler Anderson

Competing in front of 56,000 raucous Canadian fans at Rogers Centre in April, just a few miles up the road from his house, would have been enough by itself to make 2011 a memorable year for Mark Hominick.

On its own, welcoming his first child into the world — a healthy, bouncing baby girl — would have made 2011 an epic time for the London, Ont., native.

Having to say a heart-wrenching farewell to Shawn Tompkins — the best man at his wedding and longtime coach who died of a heart attack in his sleep in August — would have made the year unforgettable.

For the three life-changing events to take place in a four-month stretch has barely left the 29-year-old a moment to catch his breath.

With one more major event left on the calendar — UFC 140 on Saturday night at Air Canada Centre in Toronto, where he takes on Chan Sung Jung in a featherweight contest — Hominick spent some time, with his baby in bed and workouts done for the day, reflecting on what the past 12 months have meant personally and professionally.

“Emotionally,” admitted Hominick, days before UFC 140, “I think it’s going to be a trying week.”

• On keeping his heart in check

“To now, I’ve been very motivated through camp to carry on Shawn’s legacy, not to let it bring me down. Rather, to (let) it inspire me. But this is the week when we’d really have our bond. I’m sure there’s going to be some trying moments this week but, again, I have to look at it the other way — how it’s going to inspire me this week.”

• On having a daughter — Raeya, born May 14 and weighing seven pounds, 13 ounces

“It’s been the most amazing experience of my life. Completely changes your outlook on life and what you are. You’re all of a sudden not the most important person in your life. Someone who dictates how your day’s going and what you should truly be working towards.”

• On co-headlining UFC 129 versus champion Jose Aldo in Toronto, drawing 55,724 fans paying a live gate of more than $12 million

“The whole two months leading up to that fight is a blur. It was such a huge anticipation and buildup to that whole card (which was UFC’s debut event in Ontario). It was so much rolled into one night. The moments before, after, during, I look back — training camp to interviews to Lamaze (laughs). . . . It was nuts. It was just crazy. To get through that was quite a ride.”

• On preparing for UFC 140

“Obviously, and guys always say this, but this is the best I’ve felt. It truly is. This is the healthiest I’ve ever been through a camp. I think I’ve trained the smartest. I’ve brought in the right people. I’m ready to prove that on Saturday night.”

• On parenthood being even better than he imagined

“When she smiles at you, it just melts you. She’s a happy baby. She definitely brings joy to our lives every day. If you’re tired, if you’re not feeling your best, she’ll definitely bring you up.”

• On the challenges of parenthood

“She doesn’t sit still for too long (laughs). . . . There’s definitely been some trying nights but she’s been a pretty amazing baby.”

• On having something to prove on Saturday

“This is definitely my first fight without my coach. I’ve never fought without him. It’s also motivating that I’m going to go out there and prove that the team’s still strong and we’re going to carry on Shawn’s legacy, out there winning.”

• On balancing training with being a dad

“Obviously you’re down to the end of training. You need to be physically at your best. My wife, Ashley, she’s definitely taken the late-night calls as of late, which is greatly appreciated (laughs).”

• On his life doing “a complete 180” after UFC 129

“Basically a 15-year overnight success. For almost three months straight, I was gone almost every single weekend. For one thing, my life changed with having a baby but also my career changed over night. All of a sudden, I was somewhat popular in the MMA community, a lot more in demand. Your career’s so short, you have to capitalize on those moments as well. There’s times it’s been tough to be away but other times where it’s been a great time, in between fights, to have a baby.”

• On people chasing their dream for that one magic moment

“Anything you’re passionate about . . . they try for so many years, driven by their own passion, living out of a van — (those people) have similar stories. UFC 129 was that for me.”

• On when he knew how memorable UFC 129 was

“I don’t think I realized it until after the fact. Until I watched the fight again, and the feedback I received, I didn’t know it was anything special.”

• On UFC 129 being a bittersweet evening

“Right after the fight, I was obviously disappointed in the loss. But after watching the fight and getting the feedback from everybody, I knew how close I was and the kind of impact it had on my career. It was huge. But then two weeks later, I was a dad. It was a crazy time. It really hasn’t slowed down since.”

• On his sole focus heading into UFC 140

“All I’m thinking about is winning. That’s the only thing that’s crossed my mind. I want to go out there and make a statement — where I’m at in this sport, in this division, where I’m going.”

• On the excitement of the family’s first holiday season

“We just had our first Christmas pictures together. Awesome.”

• On Chris Horodecki, who along with Sam Stout and Hominick were the closest fighters to Tompkins, being the first of the three to compete since Tompkins’ death

“There’s no step you take without your crew, without the people with you. Chris was the first guy to take that step. I was very proud of him, the way he handled himself, both in and out of the ring. It just shows that we’re still going strong. We’re a freight train. No one’s going to stop us.”

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